Support attachment for electric-switch boxes and the like



1930- E. FfSMlTH Er AL. 7 1,779,681

SUPPORT ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC SWITCH BOXES AND THE'LIKE Filed Feb. '7, 1929 D lrll/flvrblas [Am]? .SM/TH 5w firm/E TH li/ILSOA/ Patented Oct. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES- PATENT oF IcE EARL E. snrrn ANDGUY KEN ETH: wILsoN, on MUNCIE, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO MIDWEST METAL rnonoc'rs COMPANY, or narrow, INDIANA, A comoEArroN or INDIANA surronr Arr cnMENr FOR-'ELECTRIQ-SWITCH BoxEs AND THE LIKE Application filed. February 7, 1929. Serial No. 338,125.

' This invention relates to support attach- ,ments for electric switch houslngs or llke devices.

- the present invention is especially suitable consists of a rectangular sheet metal boxlike structure having open front,and there being a flange atopposite edges of the front I of the box; the said flanges being adapted 19 to rest against the frontal surfaces of the edges of the opening in'the wall where installation of the box is intended. The practice hitherto has been to apply screws through the holes provided in saidflanges,

and into the wall structure. The material of which such wall structure is composed, consisting usually of metal or wood lath and plaster, or of plaster or fiber board, the fastening of the box thereto by means of the 20 above description is unsatisfactory and ,im-

practicable for the reason that the box is retained insecurely. Moreover, in case the edge portions of the opening in the wall may become mutilated in the effort to obtam connection thereto, there is then no way to fasten the box in position, but to either provide another location and opening, or to construct a support means ofsomesort in or. at' the rear of the wall structure.

;The object of the-present invention is to provide, an attachment to the switch box,

whereby. the box may be. easily disposed in its place, and then secured in true position,

, and without the necessity of the use of. screws or nails applied to the wall. Further purposes of the invention are to PIOVldG such an attachment in form and construction so that it is economical of manufacture, easy to use, and is strong and durable.

The objects of our invention are accomplished by, and the invention is. embodied 1n the new construction, combination and arrangement of parts described in the following specification and illustrated in the 'accompanying drawings. The several parts of the invention are identified by suitable characters of referenceapplied to'them in the different views, in which A switch housing of the type for-which F1gure 1 is acentral longitudinal sectional View of our improved attachment for electrioswltch boxes.

F gure 2 is a plan view-of Figure 1.

F gure 3 1s an end view as seen in the direct on of arrow '3 in Figure '1.

Flgure 4 is a cross section view taken on the line 44 in Figure 6.

Flgure 5 is a side view showing the sup port device in operative position supporting a switch box of standard form, a portion of the wall boardto which the box is fastoned, being also shown.

gure 6 is a top plan view of'Figure 5 a portion of the switch box being broken away.

Flgure 7 isa front View of Figure 5.

This invention contemplates the providin of a resllient or elastic bow to span the be; and whose legs are divergent, and a connectlng device between the head of the bow and the rear side of the box. A connection devlce between the box and the bow, of simple form, is a cap screw.

The box equipped with this simple invent1on 1s's1mply passed through the opening provided therefor in the wall board, the legs of the bow yielding as the box is passed through, and then springing to the normal expanded status. The box is easily stayed in pos1t1on by one hand, while with the other hand'the screw is turned clockwise. Thus the dlstance betweenthe box and the head of the bow is'decreased, the legs of the bow being pressed firmly against the rear side, and the flanges of the box being pressed firmly agalnst the front side, respectively, of the wall board.

The construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown herein for carry- 1ng th1s 1nvent1on into effect, are intended for use in connection with a switch box of plate structure.

lends stiffness to thecentral portion of the.

head. A cap screw C may be of type to be operated by hand, or-by a screw driver or wrench, and it may be one and one quarter inches in length as in the present instance. It may be adapted for retention loosely in a hole E of the box, or it may be threaded in said hole. This screw is threaded through the head A of the bow.

It will be understood that this bow may be made of plain strip metal of thickness, width, and resiliency suitable for the particular type of box or device for which the attachment is intended; and it may be provided with any suitable form of central section for accommodating the screw. In the same sense, the type of screw, and its size and length, may be modified, in accordance with the depth of the box, and in accordance with the nature and the thickness of the wall Essential characteristics of the bow are that it should be of such span as to repose as closely adjacent to the sides of the box as may be practicable, and the material of which it is made should be of such width that the tendency of same to move, rotatively, when the screw is operated, may be minimized. To facilitate the engagement by the legs B and B with the wall board, and to overcome possible tendency of the legs to move outwardly when pressure is exerted by the screw, they are provided with the serrations D, as plainly shown in Figure 1 and in Figure 5. The opening provided in the wall board is of the suitable width, and may have the slightly increased intermediate cross dimension, as shown in Figure 7, just suflicient to permit the head portion of the bow to easily pass therethrough.

To equip the box with our improved attachment, the screw C is disposed in the hole E that is provided in the rear wall of the box, and then is screwed a relatively short distance through the bow, the latter then occupying the position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6. The degree of curvature of the bow intended for use in connection with a box of the size and typeshown, is that shown in Figures 2 and 6.

To install the box which is equipped as above described, it is passed into the opening provided therefor in the wall, and as it, is pushed through and the flanges F and F come to rest against the face of the wall, the

legs B and B will have yielded inwardly, and will have passedor cleared the edges of the opening and returned to' their normal expanded status. The box is easily stayed by one hand, while with a screw driver in the other hand, the screw C is turned clockwise. WViththe consequent decreasing of the distance between the box and the head of the bow, the legs B and B are soon moved to en-" gagement with-the wall board, whence the serrations assume tenacious hold, with the tightening of the screw. The status of the several parts is then as shown in Figure 6,

the legs Band B, and the flanges F and F, bemg in tightened engagement with the rear and front faces, respectively, of the wall plate- Obviously the invention is applicable in connection with boxes having flanges of any structure. suitable for engagement with the frontal face of the wall plate. Also and changes may be made in the details,

' it will be understood that minor modifications forms and proportions of the several parts,

without departing from the principle of ourprovided with exteriorly'extending flanges,

a resilient bow to span the housing and whose end portions extend toward the front of the housing, and a connection device between the head of the bow and the back of the housing, to vary the distance between the head of the bow and the housing.

2. A housing having open front and being provided with exteriorly extending flanges,

a resilient U shaped bow, and a screw loose inthe back of the housing and threaded through the head of the bow, said screw bemg operable from the front of the housing.

3. A device of the kind described, compris-' ing a housing having open front and being a- U shaped resilient bow whose legs are divergent, said bow being adapted to span the housing, and a screw mounted in the back of the housing, and threaded through the head of the bow. 1

4. In building construction the combina tion with a wall structure sheathing provided with an opening therein, a box adapted to be inserted into said opening and being provided with exteriorly extending flanges, a U shaped resilient bow having its legs divergent and adapted to freely pass the edges of the wall opening and to expand beyond said edges provided with exteriorly extending flanges,

when the box will have been inserted in said opening and a screw carried by the box to retain the bow and which is operable to decrease the distance between the bow and the box, thereby causing the said legs and the said flanges to grip the rear and front respective- -ly of the Wall structure sheathing.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

EARL F. SMITH. GUY KENNETH WILSON. 

